Fastening-supplying apparatus



Feb. 20, 1934. F. 1.. M KENZlE FASTENING SUPPLYING APPARATUS Filed Feb.14. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill "Emmi H Feb. 20, 1934. L MacKENZIE1,947,769

FASTENING SUPPLYING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb.20, 1934. F. L. M KENZlE FASTENING SUPPLYING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14.1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 20, 1934. F MacKENZlE 1,947,769

FASTENING SUPPLYING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig:4*. D

Patented Feb. 20, 1934 STATES PATENT OFFICE FASTENING-SUPPLYINGAPPARATUS Application February 14,

37 Claims.

This invention relates to fastening-supplying apparatus, andparticularly to that adapted to deliver nails to machines which are toinsert them in work. A machine of this character is disclosed in theapplication for Letters Patent of the United States filed in the name ofJohn F. Standish on March 14, 1927 and bearing the Serial No. 175,251,this being for the purpose of attaching heels to shoes by insidenailing. This application, on

March 14, 1927, became Letters Patent No. 1,847,-

274 and No. 1,847,275.

An object of the invention is to render easy, in a novel manner, changesat the distributor or other source of supply of the fastenings employed.This may be both as to size or length of the fastenings and as to thenumber making up the load or group inserted at each operation of themachine. To this end, controlling means for fastenings supplied by areceptacle movable to discharge said fastenings when there is to be achange of length, an example of such controlling means being thenail-separator associated with a raceway or the latch for saidseparator, are normally free from their actuating means, but are carriedby the movement of the receptacle into position to receive the actuatingefiect. The receptacle has both the fastening-discharging movement justmentioned, which may be about a pivot, and a normal delivering movementfor supplying the fastenings. I provide an actuating shaft for thislast-mentioned movement, the axis of said shaft coinciding with thepivotal axis of the receptacle. With gearing connecting such a shaft anda driven fastening-controlling memher, as the fastening-supplyingreceptacle or a fastening-arranging rake-wheel, the nail-dischargingmovement of the receptacle may be produced without disturbing thedriving cone nections. The operator is thus entirely relieved 4.0 of theburden of disconnecting and restoring connections when the fasteningsare changed.

To allow unimpeded rearward movement of the fastenings when thereceptacle is emptied, I separate the shelf upon which the receptacledeposits the fastenings from the raceway which it supplies, so a spaceis left through which free passage of the fastenings may occur. Inaltering the numberof nails delivered by the raceways, a slide having afastening-retaining member is movable at the lower extremity of each ofplural raceways, each slide having a cam by which it is rcciprocated tovary the groups of raceways delivering the fastenings. Claims generic tosuch control of the nails have been presented in an application forLetters Patent of the United 1930. Serial No. 428,529

States, filed February 1, 1930, Serial No. 425,265, in the names ofGeorge Goddu and Fred L. Mac- Kenzie'. Other improvements which I haveapplied to the distributing portion of the apparatus involve means forretaining the tilting receptacle in a plurality of definite positions,and the association with means by which the fastenings are separatedfrom the raceway or raceways of fastoning-reversing means for causingthe separated fastenings to be delivered for insertion in a relationopposite to that in which they are delivered from the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to insure accurate delivery of thefastenings, as from such a controlling member. as a separator which isto release them to enter tubes or conduits, or from a controllingmember, as a retaining shutter, which frees them at the oppositeextremities of the conduits. I attain this object by making the deliverydependent upon the operation of the machine supplied, means foroperating upon the work governing the delivery-controlling member ormembers. As a consequence of this, a second load cannot be supplied ateither of the controlling points unless the machine has been operatedand the previously-delivered load utilized. I also guard against thedelivery of fastenings before the loading device which is to effecttheir transfer is in the correct position to receive them. This I mayeffect by combining with conduits which deliver fastenings to theloading or transferring device a retaining member for said fastenings,with which member cooperates means whereby the conduits are held closed,save in a predetermined position of the transferring device or when saiddevice is correctly alined with the conduits. This phase of theinvention is disclosed in an application filed in my name in the UnitedStates Patent Ofiice on June 7, 1932, Serial No. 615,834.

In the accompanying drawings, a particular embodiment of this inventionis illustrated.

Fig. 1 of said drawings shows my improved fastening-supplying apparatusin front elevation, only the more essential elements of the associatedheel-attaching machine appearing;

Fig. 2 is a broken side elevation looking from the right in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a broken front elevation of the lower portion of the racewaysof the two distributors of the apparatus, with certain of the supportingand actuating elements; and Fig. 5 illustrates, in enlarged broken sideelevation, the delivery-controlling means associated with the raceways.

Of the Standish apparatus previously mentioned is shown only a frame 10,a work-support or jack 12 containing the drivers or nail-insertingmechanism and tubes or vertical passages to which nails are to besupplied, and an upper abutment 14, by which pressure is applied to aheel resting upon the heel-seat of a jacked shoe to resist the drivingforce applied to the nails. Preliminary pressure is impressed throughthe abutment upon the work by connections 16 to a treadle 18, depressionof which treadle also starts the machine in operation. Thereupon,side-rods 20, 20 drawn down under the power of the machine, place uponthe work final pressure through connections 22.

Nails or other fastenings to be inserted by the machine are contained inone or more drums or receptacles 24, forming a part of distributingmeans D and mounted at the top of the frame 10. Two opposite drums andtheir associated nail-distributing elements are shown, these permittingthe simultaneous supply of nails of different length, or those otherwisediffering in character. The arrangement of these drums is similar, sogenerally but one will be described. Each drum is mounted upon a support26 arranged to turn about a spindle 28 carried horizontally at one sideof the top of the frame, said drum being rotatable about a horizontalspindle 30 projecting outwardly from the support. In the rotation of thedrum, buckets 32 raise nails from the contained mass and drop them uponshelves 34 having converging walls, each pair of walls leading to araceway 36 inclined inwardly and downwardly, there being as many of theraceways as the maximum number of nails to be delivered. The racewaysare preferably furnished by pairs of bars spaced from one another sothey may convey nails hanging by their heads upon the upper edges of thebars, with the shanks depending between them. As is best shown at theleft of Fig. 1, each raceway extends beneath its shelf and is spacedtherefrom at 38. When the drum is tipped outwardly about thepivot-spindle 28 to discharge its contents, the series of nails restingin each raceway passes beneath the shelf and is freely discharged fromthe raceway-end without interference with its movement. To preventclogging of the raceways, there extends across them a shaft 40 journaledin the support and having secured to it, above each raceway, a rakewheel42, the teeth of which act to dislodge crossed nails or those which arelocated above their normal positions. Spiral gearing 44 joins the shaft40 to a shaft 46 journaled at right angles to it in the support, thisshaft 46 carrying a pinion 56 meshing with gear-teeth 52 formed aboutthe drum and serving to rotate the latter. To drive the shaft 40, it isunited by sprocketgearing 54 to a shaft 56, the axis of which is alinedwith the pivot-spindle 28 of the support 26. Spiral gearing 57 and achain of spur-geari n g 58 join the shaft 56 to a shaft 60, the latterbeing, in turn, connected by belt-gearing 62 with one of the shafts ofthe heeling machine to be supplied with nails. On account of thecoincidence of the axes of the shaft 56 and spindle 28, the support 26may be turned about its pivot without altering the relation of thedriving ele ments for the rake-Wheels or drum. Means is provided forfixing the support, and therefore the drum, in any one of threepositions. This is accomplished by a spring-pressed pin 63 movablehorizontally in the frame and arranged to enter selectively threedepressions 64 formed in the support. With the pin in the depression atthe right of the right-hand series in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thenail-distributor is in its normal or operating position. Here it may besecured by a screw 65 rotatable in the support and engaging a threadedopening in the frame. The pin being withdrawn and the distributor tiltedoutwardly and downwardly by turning the support about the spindle 28,the drum is brought to its nail-discharging position with the racewaysinclined to discharge through the drum. Here the distributor may besecured by the entrance of the pin into the depression at the extremeleft. With the pin in the intermediate depression, the raceways aresubstantially horizontal, a relation convenient for the inspection andadjustment of the apparatus. To cushion the distributor at its extremesof movement, both in the normal and naildischarging positions, it hasdepending from and pivoted to it a rod 65 passing through an opening ina bracket 66 projecting from the frame. Surrounding the rod above andbelow the brackets are springs 67, the outer extremities of which abutagainst cups 68 carried by the rod. When the distributor is tilted backabout its pivot, the lower spring 67 comes into contact with the bracket66, and sufficiently resists the movement to prevent undue shock. Whenthe distributor is returned to its normal position, the upper springopposes the movement with a slim ilar efiect.

From the raceways 36, the delivery of nails in loads having the numberrequired for each heelattaching operation is controlled by a movableseparator-plate 69 (Figs. 8 and 5) provided with an inclinednail-receiving slot '70 co-operating with each raceway. The plate ismounted for horizontal movement upon a carrier '72 arranged toreciprocate transversely of the support 26. The carrier is caused togive the plate its nailinc ics

separating movement by a spring '74 interposed between the carrier andframe. To compress the spring in preparation for this action, therecontacts with a surface 15 at one extremity of the carrier an adjustablescrew 76 threaded through an arm 78 projecting from a shaft 80, therebeing one of these arms upon the shaft for each of the two distributorsillustrated. Secured to the shaft 80 is an arm 82 joined by a rod 84 toa lever 86 fulcrumed upon the frame 10. The lever 86 is acted upon by acam 88 rotated intermittently by a shaft 89 in a manner which will laterbe described. A spring 91 surrounding the rod 84 maintains engagement ofthe lever with the cam. The carrier is held temporarily against theforce of the spring 74, ready for the delivery of the nails, by aspring-actuated latch 90 pivment of the plate 69 and, as the screwleaves the 1' carrier, it permits the plate to move for a certaindistance, under the influence of the spring, to pick off a load of nailsfrom the raceways; but before the separating movement is completed, thelatch 90 arrests the carrier and plate, holding the separated load readyfor delivery. This delivery is effected when, in the descent of theside-rod 20 upon the application of pressure by the abutment 14 to thework supported upon the.

69 and 90, respectively, of the distributor which receive actuation,there is no positive connection, the elements upon the distributor beingentirely free to move into and out of alinement with the actuatingscrews 76 and 94. Consequently, when the nails are to be discharged froma drum, the operator is burdened with no special act of disconnection.

For the attachment of different heels, the number of nails in a load mayvary. I therefore provide for stopping the flow of nails through certainof the raceways in different combinations. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5,there is guided at the lower extremity of each of plural raceways ofeach distributor D a slide 98, having projecting from it, toward theraceway-slot, a retaining finger 100, which may be flexible. Fulcrumedbelow each raceway is a lever 102, a lateral projection 104 from whichenters a depression in the corresponding slide. A spring 106 acts toturn each lever in a clockwise direction (Fig. 5) to normally maintainthe slide lowered from the raceway, with its finger clear of theseparatorplate 69 and with the lower extremity of the lever against theperiphery of a cam 198, which is one of a series fast upon a shaft 110rotatable upon the support 26. The cams are arranged about the shaft indifferent angular positions, so that, for different rotary adjustmentsof the shaft, various combinations of slides will either have theirfingers clear of the slots in the separator-plates, or will be forced upby the springs 105 to push the nails out of the slots into the racewaysand retain them, with the series in said raceways, against descent. Toenable the operator to select the desired groups of active racewaysunder the control of the cams, the shaft 110 has fast upon one end anarm 112 carrying a spring-pressed pin 114, so disposed as to be capableof entering any one of a series of indexopenings 116 about the margin ofa plate 118 secured to the support. .By engagement of the pin with eachof these openings, a different group of cams will be rendered effective,and the delivery of a different number of nails from the racewaysprovided for. Because of the freeing of the separator-slots from nailswhen the retaining fingers 100 are operated, all the nails of apreviously-employed .group are disposed of when a change of number ismade, and, similarly, all nails not delivered are discharged through thedrum when this is tilted back for a change of its contents. 7

While the nails fall from the separator-plate with their points down,they are to be so delivered to the jack 12 that they will'be drivenupwardly into the work. To reverse the nails after they leave theseparator, there is situated below a conduit-section 128 (Fig. 3),guiding the nails from each raceway, a rotary receiver 130 provided witha pocket by which the falling nails are caught. The series of receiversfor the entire set of raceways is mounted upon a shaft 132 rotatable atthe lower forward portion of the support 26. Normally, the mouths of thepockets are alined with the conduits 128. They are reversed to dischargethe nails points-up by a connection to the shaft 80, this actionoccurring at the same time the separator-spring 74 is compressed. Theshaft carries, near its center, two gear-segments or sections 131-, 131secured to each other; by a slot-and-screw connection 133, by which therelation between the teeth of the two segments may be adjusted andmaintained. The segmentteeth are located between and mesh with oppositepinions 135, 135 fast upon the shafts 132, 132 of the respectivedistributors D, D. At one side, the segments abut against a collar 134(Fig. 4) fast upon the shaft 80, being pressed intoengagement with it bya spring 136 surrounding the shaft and compressed between one of thesegments and a second collar 138. Upon each reversing shaft 132 is aprojection 140, which, in the rotation of the shaft, comes into contactwith either of two-stop screws 142, 142 threaded vertically into thesupport 26. When the projection engages one of these screws, the mouthsof the receivers 13s are turned upward beneath the conduits 128, readyto receive'the nails from the raceways. With the projection against theother stop, the receivers are reversed to deliver the nails. By virtueof the frictional connection between the shaft and segments, produced bythe force of the spring 136, the extent of movement of the shaft may begreater than that necessary to cause the contact of the projection withthe screws, without injury tothe elements.

The reversed nails from the receivers 130 fall into tubes or conduits150 leading from a head bar 152 to a foot-plate 154 (Fig. 3). At thefootplate, their descent is temporarily arrested by a shutter orretaining member 156 arranged to slide horizontally. In the shutter is aset of openings which may register with the tube-openings of thefoot-plate or may be carried to one side, so the body of the shuttercloses said tubes. The latter relation cuts off communication betweenthese tubes 150 and tubes 158 of a separable holder or mug 160. Thelower ends of the tubes 158 are arranged in accordance with a particularnailing design corresponding to that in which the nails are to beinserted at the jack 12. Between a receiving position beneath the tubes158 and a delivering position above the jack 12 moves a loaderblock ortransferring member 162 mounted upon a horizontally reciprocatorycarrier-bar 164.

Meshing with rack-teeth 166 upon the under side by sprocket-gearing 1'74and spur-gearing 176 from the shaft 60 (Fig. 2).

When the operator throws a lever 178, the clutch mechanism reverses therotation of the pinion 168, so the loader-block is carried from beneaththe tubes 158 over the jack to its nail-delivering position. Astop-screw 180 upon the carrier-bar limits the travel in this directionby engagement with a portion of the holder 160. The manner in which thepinion 168 is oppositely rotated to produce this travel of theloader-block is not a part of this invention and is 1 therefore notdescribed. An organization suitable for the purpose is disclosed in theapplication filed October 24, 1924, in the United States Patent Officein the name of John M. Benjamin and bearing the Serial No. 745,684, thishaving on December 23, 1930, become Letters Patent No. 1,785,928. Fromthe shutter 156 is shown a projection 182 engaged by a bell-crankactuating lever 184, a spring 185 exerting its force upon said lever tourge the shutter 156 to an open position. A latching lever 186 isnormally held by a spring 188, joined to an arm 192 of said latchinglever, beneath a horizontal arm of the lever 184 to so retain theshutter against the action of the spring 185 that thefoot-plate-openings remain closed. The latch is withdrawn, to allow theactuating lever to open the shutter, by a projection 190 on one of theside-rods 20, which projection contacts with the latch arm 192 as theside-roddescends in the application of pressure to the work. At alltimes other than when the loader-block is in the nail-receiving positionof Fig. 3, the actuating lever 184 is locked against shutter-operatingmovement by contact of the outer extremity of its horizontal arm withthe upper surface of the carrier-bar 164, but when theloader-block-openings register with the tubes 158, the end ofthe levercan enter a depression194 in the carrierbar, so upon tripping the latch186, the spring 185 is free to shift the shutter and permit the nails tofall from the tubes 150 through its openings into the loader-block.

To outline the operation of the means for controlling the delivery ofnails from the raceways 36 to the jack 12, normally, during theoperation of the machine, a cycle will start with a load of nails in thereversing receivers 130 and another load in the block 162. First, theoperator throws the lever 178. The lever. 184 has been resting under theinfluence of the spring 185 after the previous operation, with the endof its horizontal arm in the loader-bar-depression 194, the shutter 156being open. As soon as the forward movement of the loader-bar, driven bythe gear 168, begins, the depression 194 leaves the lever and the uppersurface of the bar swings the lever 184 anticlockwise (Fig. 3) to closethe shutter 156. This permits the latch 186 to be drawn beneath the endof the lever 184 by the spring 188. Then through movement communicatedfrom the shaft 89 through the cam 88, lever 86, rod 84, arm 82, shaft80, arm 78, contact-screw 76 and carrier '72, there is imparted to theseparator-plate 69 its preliminary movement to pick off a load of nails,the plate-carrier '72 being latched at 90, so these nails are notdelivered. Simultaneously with this nail-separating movement, thereceivers 130 are turned by the segments 131 to deposit the load ofreversed nails which they contain through the tubes 150 upon the closedshutter 156. When the loader-block has reached the jack, aloaderblock-shutter 200, which may be of any desired form, is tripped,and the nails supported thereby are delivered to the driver-passages ofthe jack. Upon this, the bar 164 moves back to its normal position withthe loader-block beneath the tubes 158 to receive the succeeding load ofnails. The operator depresses the treadle 18, pressure is applied to thejacked work by the abutment 14 as a result of the downward movement ofthe rods 20, and the one carrying the projections 94 and 190 makes theseeffective, so that the first trips the latch 90 by contact with thelever 92. This frees the separator-plate 69, and the nails previouslypicked off and held by the plate fall into the reversing receivers 130.The rod-projection 190, striking the arm 192, tilts the latch 186 frombeneath the lever 184. The depression 194 is now vertically alined withthe end of the lever, and the spring 185 moves said lever to shift theshutter 156 to its open position, so the nails previously delivered bythe reversing member fall from it. The drivers rise in the jack andinsert the nails, which the loader-block has previously delivered to thedie-block, through the heel-seat of the jacked shoe into the heel to beattached. This completes the cycle. It will be seen that, until themachine has been treadled, and therefore the nails driven from the jack,there can neither be a delivery from the raceways nor from theloaderblock, since a part dependent for its movement on the depressionof the treadle both releases the separator-plate 68 and the shutter 156to cause such delivery. Moreover, said loaderblock must be properlyalined with the tubes 158 for the reception of the nails, since theshutter 156 cannot be opened until the depression 194 is beneath the endof the actuating lever 184. As a consequence of these relations, it isimpossible to cause the delivery of a double load of nails, either fromthe separator-plate into the reversing receivers, or from thefoot-plate-shutter into the loader-block. The latter being true, doubledelivery to the jack is also prevented. Then, since thefoot-plate-shutter is positively locked against delivery at all timesother than when the loader-block is in the correct receiving position,the discharge of a load of nails outside the machine is prevented.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a frame, a support pivoted uponthe frame, a receptacle movable upon the support, a raceway leading fromthe receptacle, a fastening-separator movable in co-operation with theraceway and having a contact-surface, a spring co-operating with theseparator, means movable on the support for temporarily maintaining thespring energized but ineffective, and energizing means for the springmovable upon the frame, said energizing means being free to move intoand out of engagement with the contact-surface of the separator.

2. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a frame, a support pivoted uponthe frame, a receptacle movable upon the support, a raceway leading fromthe receptacle, a fastening-separator movable in co-operation with theraceway and having a contact-surface, a spring cooperating with theseparator, a latch movable upon the support and arranged to retain theseparator against the force of the spring, and a member movable upon theframe into engagement with the latch but being normally free fromconnection to said latch.

3. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a frame, a support pivoted uponthe frame, a receptacle movable upon the support, a raceway leading fromthe receptacle, a fastening-separator movable in co-operation with theraceway and having a contact-surface, a spring cooperating with theseparator, a latch movable upon the support and arranged to retain theseparator against the force of the spring, and a lever fulcrumed uponthe frame for movement into and out of actuating free to move into andout of engagement with the contact-surface of the separator, a latchmovable upon the support and arranged tofretain the separator againstthe force of the springi and a member movable upon the frame intoengagement with the latch but being normally free from connection withsaid latch. g

5. In a nail-distributor, the combination with a frame, of a supportpivoted thereon, a nailreceptacle rotatable upon the support, a racewayleading from the receptacle, a movable nail-controlling memberco-operating with the raceway, an actuating shaft having its axiscoinciding with that of the support-pivot, and gearing'connecting theactuating shaft and controlling member.

6. In a nail-distributor, the combination with a frame, of a supportpivoted thereon, a nailreceptacle rotatable upon the support, a racewayleading from the receptacle, ashaft rotatable upon the support abovetheraceway, a rakewheel carried by the shaft andco-operating with theraceway, an actuating shaft having its axis coinciding with that of thesupport-pivot, and gearing connecting the actuating shaftand rake:

wheel shaft. a

7. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a rotatable fastening-receptacle,a raceway inclined downwardly from the receptacle, a support upon whichthe receptacleis rotatable, said support being movably mounted to permitthe fastenings to be emptied rearwardly from the raceway, and a shelfupon which the fastenings are deposited from the receptacle at the upperextremity'of the raceway, said shelf being elevated above the raceway tofurnish a space through which the fastenings may pass from the racewaybelow the shelf.

8. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a plurality of inclined raceways,a movable separatorplate having a fastening-receiving slot co-operatingwith each raceway, a slide'movable at the lower'extremity of eachraceway, a fasteningretaining finger mounted upon each slide andextending above the corresponding raceway, a shaft extending beneaththeraceways, an actuating member carried by the shaft for each. of theraceways, and connections between the actuating members andcorresponding slides,

9. In a fastening-supplying apparatua'a plurality of inclined raceways,a slide movable at the lower extremity of each 'raceway afastenretaining member mounted upon each slide, a shaft extendingbeneath theraceways, an actuating member carried by the shaft for eachof the slides, and levers extending upwardly from the shaft andconnecting said actuating members and corresponding slides. V

10. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a plurality of inclinedraceways, a slide movable at the lower extremity of each raceway, afasteningretaining member mounted upon each slide, a shaft extendingbeneath the raceways, series of cams fixedto the shaft, and a leveracted upon by each cam and extending at one side of the correspondingslide, each lever having a lateral projection engaging said slide.

11. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a plurality of raceways, afastening-separator having fastening-receiving slots co-operating withthe raceways, a member co-operating with each raceway, eachof saidmembers being movable between a position in which it leaves its racewaysfree and a position in which it pushes back a fastening from within theseparator slot and holds it and the succeeding fastenings in the racewayagainst delivery, and means arranged to position simultaneouslyaplurality of the retaining members.

12. In a nail-distributor, a plurality of raceways, a reoiprocatoryseparator-plate having fastening-receiving slots co-operating with theraceways, a nail-stop co-cperating with each raceway adjacent to theseparator-plate, each of said stops being movable between an ineffectiveposition in which it leaves its raceway free and an effective positionin which it pushes back a nail out of the slot in the plate and holds itand the succeeding nails against travel along the raceway, andmeansarranged to move the Stops in different groups respectively comprisingdifierent stops in'their eifective positions.

13. In a nail-distributor, the combination with a frame, of a supportpivoted thereon, a nailreceptacle rotatable upon the support, a racewayleading from the receptacle and being inclined downwardly and forwardlyin operating position and downwardly and rearwardly for the discharge ofthe nails from the receptacle, and retaining means carried by the frameand support and arranged to hold said support against movement upon itspivot in operating and discharging positions of the receptacle andraceways and in an intermediate position.

14.1In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a seriesof raceways. arranged tosupportfastenings hanging by their heads, a separator-plate movableacross the raceways and provided with a fastening-receiving slot foreach raceway, a rotatable fastening-reversing device having below eachplate-slot a pocket by which fastenings are received from said plate, arotatable shaft, and connections to the shaft acting simultaneously tomove the plate to separate a load of fastenings from the raceways and torotate the reversing device to deliver an inverted load of fasteningstherefrom. a

15. In a nail-supplying apparatus, a series of raceways each arranged tosupport nails hanging by their heads, a separator-plate movable acrossthe raceways and provided with a nailreceiving slot co-operating witheach raceway, a rotatable nail-reversing device having below eachplate-slot a pocket by which nails are received from said plate, arotatable shaft provided with a projection arranged to move the plate toseparate a load of nails from the raceways, and gearing'connecting theshaft and nail-reversing device to deliver simultaneously therefrom aninverted load of nails.

16. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, 01) positefastening-receptacles, a raceway leading from each receptacle toward theopposite receptacle, a movable fastening-delivering member associatedwith each raceway, the delivering members of opposite raceways beingadjacent to each other, a gear for moving each of the opposite members,and a member situated between the gears and provided with teeth engagedby each of said. gears.

17. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, opposite fastening-receptacles,a raceway leading from each receptacle toward. the opposite receptacle,a movable fastening-delivering member associated with each raceway, thedelivering members of opposite raceways being adjacent to each other, agear for moving each of the opposite members, a member formed inrelatively movable sections, each section being provided with teethengaging one of said gears, and means arranged to vary the relation ofthe sections to each other;

18. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, opposite fastening-receptacles,a raceway leading from each receptacle toward the opposite receptacle, amovable fastening-delivering member associated with each raceway, thedelivering members of opposite raceways being adjacent to each other, agear for moving each of the opposite members, a rotatable shaft, agear-segment rotatable by the shaft and meshing with each gear, and aslot-and-screw connection between the segments.

19. In a nail-supplying apparatus, a raceway, a rotatable reversingdevice receiving nails from the raceway, a stop arranged to determinethe position of the reversing device, and driving connections for thedevice arranged to yield after the reversing device has been brought torest by the stop.

20. In a nail-supplying apparatus, a raceway, a nail-separatorco-operating therewith, a rotatable reversing device to which theseparator delivers, opposite stops arranged to determine the position ofthe reversing device, yieldable driving connections for the device, andmeans arranged to vary the position of the stops.

21. In a nail-supplying apparatus, a raceway, a nail-separatorco-operating therewith, a rotatable reversing device to which theseparator delivers, a stop arranged to determine the position of thereversing device, a driving shaft, 00-' operating gearing carried by theshaft and reversing device, and yieldable connections between the shaftand gearing.

22. In a nail-supplying apparatus, a raceway, a nail-separatorco-operating therewith, a rotatable reversing device to which theseparator delivers, opposite contact-screws arranged to limit themovement of the reversing device, and yieldable driving connections forthe device.

23. In a fastening-inserting machine, operating means movable to actupon the work, a distributor supplying fastenings for insertion in theWork, a member movable to control the delivery of fastenings insuccessive loads, means acting under the power of the machine to movethe member in one direction, and means movable by the operating meansfor governing the movement of the delivery-controlling member in theopposite direction.

24. In a fastening-inserting machine, a worksupport, operating meansmovable to act upon the supported work, a fastening-distributor,conduits for delivering fastenings from the distributor for insertion inthe work, a separator controlling the delivery of fastenings from thedistributor to the conduits, means acting under the power of the machinefor moving the separator in preparation for the delivery of nails, andmeans movable by the operating means for governing the separator in itsfastening-delivering movement.

25. In a fastening-inserting machine, a worksupport, operating meansmovable to act upon the supported work, a fastening-distributor,conduits for delivering fastenings from the distributor for insertion inthe work, a shutter controlling the delivery of nails from the conduits,and means movable by the operating means for governing the shutter.

26. In a fastening-inserting machine, a worksupport, operating meansmovable to act upon the supported work, a fastening-distributor, cond uits for delivering fastenings from the distributor for insertion in thework, a separator controlling the delivery of fastenings from thedistributor to the conduits, a shutter controlling the delivery of nailsfrom the conduits, and means movable by the operating means forgoverning the separator and shutter.

27. In a heel-nailing machine, a jack, pressure mechanism includingside-rods and co-operating with the jack, a nail-distributor supplyingnails for insertion in the jacked work, a reciprocatory separator-platecontrolling the delivery of nails from the distributor, a springimparting movement to the plate, a latch for the plate, and releasingmeans for the latch carried by a siderod.

28. In a heel-nailing machine, a jack, pressure mechanism includingside-rods and co-operating with the jack, a nail-distributor supplyingnails for insertion in the jacked work, nail-tubes leading from thedistributor, a shutter controlling the delivery of nails from the tubes,2. spring imparting movement to the shutter, a latch for the shutter,and releasing means for the latch carried by a side-rod.

29. In a heel-nailing machine, a jack, pressure mechanism includingside-rods and co-operating with the jack, a nail-distributor supplyingnails for insertion in the jacked work, nail-tubes leading from thedistributor, a reciprocatory separater-plate controlling the delivery ofnails from the distributor, a spring imparting to the plate itsseparating movement, a latch for the plate, a shutter controlling thedelivery of nails from the tubes, a spring imparting movement to theshutter, a latch for the shutter, and projections from a side-rodarranged to release the latches.

30. In a fastening-inserting machine, a worksupport, operating meansmovable to act upon the supported work, a fastening-distributor,conduits for delivering fastenings from the distributor for insertion inthe work, a shutter controlling the delivery of fastenings from theconduits, loading mechanism movable between the conduits and thework-support, means movable by the loading mechanism for governing theshutter, and means movable by the operating means for governing theshutter.

31. In a heel-nailing machine, a jack, pressure mechanism includingside-rods and co-operating with the jack, a nail-distributor supplyingnails for insertion in the jacked work, nail-tubes leading from thedistributor, a shutter controlling the delivery of nails from the tubes,a spring imparting movement to the shutter, a latch for the shutter, aloader-block movable between the nailtubes and the jack, means movablewith the loader-block for permitting movement of the latch only at apredetermined time in the travel of the block, and releasing means forthe latch carried by a side-rod.

32. In a nail-supplying apparatus, a nail-distributor, nail-transferringmeans, nail-conduits connecting the distributor and transferring means,nail-controlling members movable at both ends of the conduits, and amovable member having means for governing both controlling members.

33. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a fastening-distributor, afastening-transferring device movable from a receiving position at thedistributor to a delivering position, a fasteningretaining memberinterposed between the distributor and transferring device, conduitsleading from the distributor and controlled by the retaining member, andmeans movable with the transferring device for holding the conduitsclosed by the retaining device except in a predetermined position ofsaid transferring device.

34. In a nail supplying apparatus, a nail-158 distributor, aloader-block arranged for movement from a nail-receiving position at thedistributor to a delivering position, a' reciprocatory carrier-bar uponwhich the loader-block is mounted, a nail-tube leading from thedistributor, a shutter controlling the delivery of nails from the tubeto the loader-block, and an actuating member for the shutter, saidmember being held against movement by the carrier-bar except in thereceiving position of the loader-block.

35. In a nail-supplying apparatus, a naildistributor, a loader-blockarranged for movement from a nail-receiving position at the distributorto a delivering position, a reciprocatory carrier-bar upon which theloader-block is mounted, a nail-tube leading from the distributor, ashutter controlling the delivery of nails from the tube to theloader-block, and a lever arranged to move the shutter and limited inits movement by a surface of the carrier-bar, there being a depressionin said surface arranged to receive a portion of the lever when theloaderblock is alined with the tube.

36. In a fastening-supplying apparatus, a fastening-distributor,transferring means receiving fastenings therefrom, a movablefastening-controlling member located between the distributor andtransferring means, and means movable with the transferring means andarranged to lock the controlling member against movement except at apredetermined point in the travel of said transferring means.

37. In a fastening-inserting machine, operating means movable to actupon the work, a distributor supplying fastenings for insertion in thework, a member movable to control the delivery of fastenings insuccessive loads, means for transferring said loads, means movable bythe operating means for governing the delivery-controlling member, andmeans movable with the transferring member for governing thedelivery-controlling member.

FRED L. MACKENZIE.

